Park is designated as conservation area

Plans for a new restaurant in Bolton are set to be considered.

The three-storey building in question, on Mayor Street, next to Queens Park, was completed in 2024. The premises has a permitted retail use at ground floor, which is currently unoccupied and a flat above.

Queens Park is a grade II listed registered park and garden and is also designated as a conservation area. The building is around 85 metres from the entrance lodge to the park.

The application, in the name of Shahid Mahmood, requests a change of use for the ground floor from retail to restaurant.

Contained with the application are CGI visuals of the intended interior of the restaurant should the plans be passed. There is a car park directly opposite the application site serving the park.

A design and access report in support of the plans said: “No external changes are proposed, other than a flue which is situated to the side elevation, towards the rear of the building.

“Internally, the ground floor will consist of a seating area, food preparation area and kitchen.

The proposed hours of opening for the restaurant are 9am-11pm; Monday to Sunday.

Pre-application advice sought from Bolton council said hat the proposed change of use itself would not have any impact on the character and appearance of the building or the surrounding area and in this regard would be acceptable.

The advice added: “A noise and odour assessment would be required together including details of the extraction system and flue and any required mitigation.

“Signage would require separate consent and would need to be designed sympathetically to avoid harm to the Queens Park conservation area.”

Planners in Bolton will consider the plans in the coming weeks.

To find all the planning applications, traffic diversions, road layout changes, alcohol licence applications and more in your community, visit the Public Notices Portal.

Confidence among British businesses has rebounded following the recent changes in Government, with 63 per cent now optimistic about the UK economy, up from 57 per cent in the first quarter, according to Barclays’ latest quarterly health check on the nation’s firms.

The bank’s Q2 Business Prosperity Index, which combines survey findings with anonymised client data from more than 900,000 UK businesses, also found that firms’ optimism about their own prosperity over the next 12 months has risen to 86 per cent, up from 83 per cent in the first quarter.

Business leaders appear to have welcomed the shift towards regional decision-making, with 60 per cent agreeing that devolution will improve economic opportunities in their area. Support was strongest in areas with prominent mayoralties: London (68 per cent), the West Midlands (64 per cent) and the North West (63 per cent).

More than a third (34 per cent) expect their business to benefit from the creation of No.10 North, and over half of those (55 per cent) expect it to increase investment and opportunities for their region. That sentiment was most prominent in London (69 per cent) and the Midlands (54 per cent), while 59 per cent of businesses in the North West believe it will enable greater control over regional decision-making. By sector, Technology (81 per cent) and IT and Telecoms (75 per cent) firms are the strongest supporters of devolution, and also expect to see the most benefit from No.10 North.

Abdul Qureshi, head of Barclays Business Banking, said: “Greater regional decision-making gives local leaders the opportunity to align skills, infrastructure, finance and business support more closely with the distinctive strengths of local economies. From technology clusters and advanced manufacturing to professional services, life sciences, clean energy and creative industries, the UK has deep regional specialisms that can be engines of national growth.”

The confidence is starting to show up in behaviour. Barclays’ client data, comparing the second quarter of 2026 with the same period last year, shows SMEs increased savings by 1.5 per cent while the number of loans rose 0.9 per cent. Larger firms went further: among the bank’s corporate clients, the number of loans rose 3.2 per cent and lending values were up 9.3 per cent, suggesting some are already borrowing to fund investment and growth.

Several sectors delivered notably strong quarters. Software businesses recorded a 21.9 per cent rise in incoming cash flows, while commercial property investors focused on healthcare and residential developments saw increases of 22.5 per cent and 10.3 per cent respectively. Residential property firms lifted lending balances by 7.6 per cent, with loan numbers up 7.0 per cent, a rise beaten only by housing associations (14.4 per cent) and restaurants and cafes (14.5 per cent).

Looking ahead, 56 per cent of businesses plan to increase investment over the next 12 months and 46 per cent are likely to seek new finance to support expansion and build resilience. Top priorities are staff training and development (41 per cent), research and development (36 per cent), new or upgraded equipment (34 per cent) and digital products (33 per cent). That marks a sharp shift in intent after a year in which just 23 per cent of businesses said they borrowed to fund investment.

The legacy of the pandemic still weighs on some financing decisions. Of the 42 per cent of businesses that received financial support during Covid, 67 per cent have since taken out additional finance. Among those that have not, 36 per cent cite concerns about taking on more debt and 26 per cent say borrowing costs are too high.

Firms also made clear that confidence alone will not unlock spending. Almost a quarter (23 per cent) believe the new Government should prioritise reforming or reducing business taxation, a policy backed by 32 per cent of small and micro businesses, while 32 per cent of larger businesses want investment in technology and digital infrastructure to be the key focus.

Matt Hammerstein, chief executive of Barclays UK Corporate Bank, said: “The UK’s growth prospects depend on businesses having the confidence to invest. It is encouraging to see firms preparing to commit capital again, particularly in skills, R&D, equipment and digital capability, which are critical to improving productivity.

“The priority now is turning that intent into action. With clearer policy direction and the right access to finance, ambitious businesses across every region and sector can invest with confidence, scale faster and contribute to stronger economic growth.”

Barclays said its Business Prosperity Fund, part of the £22 billion of lending it has made available to business banking and corporate clients in 2026, is open to new and existing customers seeking to invest in resilience and growth.

Amy Ingham

Amy Ingham is a reporter at Business Matters, covering UK business news with a focus on breaking news, business policy, late payments and insolvency. She joined the magazine in 2026 after completing the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism at Harlow College’s journalism school. Her recent reporting includes British Steel’s nationalisation and its impact on SME suppliers, the decline in late payments by large firms, and Insolvency Service director disqualifications. Reach her at aingham@cbmeg.co.uk.

Market overview

Market volatility continued during the second quarter, as investors navigated persistent inflation pressures, shifting expectations for U.S. Federal Reserve policy and ongoing geopolitical developments in the Middle East. Economic data remained generally resilient, while still-high energy prices and

Young and less experienced investors now place more trust in artificial intelligence than in television, radio or social media influencers, according to research from the Financial Conduct Authority, which warns that many are leaning on AI without understanding how little protection they have if its guidance goes wrong.

Four in five less experienced investors have used AI for help with investment decisions, and about two thirds reported doing so occasionally or regularly. More than half of those questioned, 56 per cent, said they would trust AI tools, even though almost three quarters, 73 per cent, know that AI can provide inaccurate information.

Traditional sources fare worse. Just under half of respondents, 47 per cent, said they trust television and radio, 46 per cent trust the press, and less than a third, 29 per cent, trust social media influencers, according to the regulator’s survey, which polled 666 UK adults aged 18 to 40 who own investments or would consider buying them in the next year.

The protection gap

The FCA’s bigger concern is what investors believe happens when AI gets it wrong. Almost half, 44 per cent, mistakenly believed AI-generated financial information was regulated, and more than a third, 38 per cent, admitted to thinking an investment decision based solely on AI was fine.

About a third, 32 per cent, wrongly thought they would be entitled to reparation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme or the Financial Ombudsman Service if AI advice were to be wrong. In reality those protections are limited to people who have received advice that causes harm through an authorised financial adviser, and an investment is not considered for compensation simply because it subsequently performs poorly.

General purpose AI chatbots are not regulated, although tools specifically set up to provide financial advice could fall within the FCA’s remit. If a firm regulated by the FCA were to launch its own AI tool providing regulated financial advice, those using it may be eligible for protection. The regulator has been running live trials of such technology, with Barclays and Lloyds among the banks testing AI tools in its AI sandbox programme.

Use your own judgment

Lucy Castledine, director of consumer investments at the FCA, said: “AI can help you research companies, understand jargon or explore options before you make a decision. But you need to understand how you’re protected and continue to use your own judgment.”

The FCA advised those thinking of investing to make the final decision themselves, to verify the information AI offers, to think long term, and to remember that AI can only work from historical data, meaning it cannot predict how a future investment will perform.

While AI can summarise complex topics and make research more time-efficient, it can also produce incorrect information, known as hallucinations. The regulator publishes guidance on using AI for investment research on its InvestSmart website, alongside explanations of different schemes, golden rules for smart investors, and material on crypto and high-risk investments. It also offers a tool to help investors understand whether they are informed or likely to act rationally, so they can better understand what influences their decision-making.

Jamie Young

Jamie Young is Senior Reporter at Business Matters, covering SME finance, employment law and Westminster policy since 2016. He has reported on every Budget and Autumn Statement since 2018, helped make sense of the ‘covid era’ and the bounce-back loan scheme from launch through the fraud investigations, and broke the magazine’s coverage of the 2024 late-payment reforms. He joined Business Matters straight from completing his BA in Administration from Exeter University and is NCTJ-qualified. Reach him at jyoung@cbmeg.co.uk